Annealing apparatus



Patented Oct. 31, 1933 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in annealing apparatus, and more particularly to work supports intended for use in annealing pots.

One object of the invention is to provide a work support enabling the even distribution of heat through the article to be treated, in order that it may be uniformly annealed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of, means to properly support the article within the pot and by so doing eliminate the possibility of its being subjected to the effects of uneven, or high and low, heat areas.

A further object is to make possible an efilcient and rapid loading of the work support outside of the annealing pot.

After loading, the support and its attached work may be rapidly positioned as a single unit within the pot which has previously been placed in a furnace.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an annealing pot having the work support of my invention mounted therein.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof with the cover removed. 1

Figure 3 is a detailed elevation, partly in section.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the loading cap for the work support.

The numeral 2 indicates an annealing pot which is intended to be placed in a furnace 3 in order that heat may effect annealing of the contents thereof. A work support 13 is adapted to be positioned within the pot 2, and comprises a spider 4 having an annular, flanged ring provided with cut-out portions 5. A column, or pipe, 6 is rigidly fixed to the flanged portion 7 of the spider 4, and has its lower end in communication with a central opening 8 in the spider.

Material to be annealed, such as coiled wire or rod, as at 9, is shown encircling the annular column or pipe 6. The annealing pot is provided with a cover or top 10. Sand or other granular material may be placed over this top to seal the same.

The work supporting column is loaded outside of the pot, and for this purpose there is provided aremovable tapered cap 12, having a shank or stub 13 which fits within the end of the column. Crane hook holes 14 and 15 are provided in the cap and column, respectively, to facilitate their handling.

In practice, the removable tapered cap 12 is placed on the top of the column, and coils of wire or rod are forced or wedged over this cap and onto the column, the first bundle or group of convolutions abutting the flange 7 of the spider at the bottom thereof, and so on until UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANNEALING APPARATUS Carl J. Toll, Worcester, Mass, assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application September 7, 1932. Serial No. 632,033

the work support is fully loaded. The cap is then removed by placing a crane hook in the hole 14. The crane hook is next placed in the hole 15 in the column 6 of the loaded work support and it is lowered as a unit into the annealing pot.

' Due to the construction of the support and arrangement of openings in both the spider and column, heated air will circulate evenly within the pot, as illustrated by the arrows of Figure 1, and uniform annealing will be attained.

In addition, by the construction of the work support and its removable cap, labor incident to loading annealing pots is greatly reduced and considerable time is thereby saved.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of my invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A work support for annealing apparatus comprising a raised platform having heat circulating openings, a hollow column mounted on said platform and communicating with one of said heat circulating openings in said platform and a tapered cap associated with the top of said column over which convolutions of coiled wire or tubing may be wedged and forced onto said column.

2. A Work support for annealing apparatus comprising a raised platform, a hollow column mounted on said platform and means removably supportable thereon for guiding coiled material onto said column.

3. A work support for annular material comprising a hollow column, and a tapered cap removably supportable on one end of said column, said cap being provided with a shank portion fitting within said column.

4. A removable tapered cap for a work supporting column, and a shank portion on said cap for attaching to said column, said tapered cap portion providing a means for guiding annular material onto said column.

5. In a work support for annealing apparatus, a hollow column and a base of greater diameter, said base comprising a top portion having a central aperture and downwardly extending legs for enabling the circulation of air from outside of said base through the center of said column.

CARL J. TOLL. 

